UIL State Championships: All-Tournament Teams (5A & 6A)

UIL State Championships: All-Tournament Teams (5A &#038; 6A)

Andrew Loughmiller

March 16, 2021 @ 06:21 PM

The Texas high school basketball season has finally come to an end with the UIL state champions being crowned in San Antonio on Wednesday and Thursday. I was able to catch four of the six games played. The 5A and 6A matchups were both loaded with talent. The Cedar Park Timberwolves knocked off last year’s state champions with a 46-39 win over the Frisco Liberty Redhawks, and the DeSoto Eagles handed the Cypress Creek Cougars their first loss of the season with a decisive 53-37 victory. Here are my selections for the All-Tournament teams: <h3><strong>First Team </strong></h3> <h5><strong>Guard </strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22370" first="Kendall" last="Brown"] | 2021 | 5’9’’ Combo Guard | DeSoto HS</strong> - Brown is the epitome of a team-first player. She displayed fantastic leadership on the court and contributed in a variety of ways at both ends. The Houston commit was great as a slasher in the half court as well as in transition while also using her vision and passing accuracy to find open teammates. She defended at a high level from start to finish too. She had 12 points, four assists, and three steals in the final game of her high school career. <h5><strong>Guard </strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134028" first="Gisella" last="Maul"] | 2023 | 5’10’’ Shooting Guard | Cedar Park HS</strong> - Maul was a consistent source of offense for the entirety of the 5A title game. She seemed to have an answer every time that Frisco Liberty looked like they were going to make a run, finishing well when attacking off the dribble and showing that she understands the power of momentum in big games. The sophomore guard finished with four rebounds and three assists in addition to her game-high 15 points, earning MVP honors and a becoming a state champion in just her second year of varsity ball. <h5><strong>Guard</strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97622" first="Kyndall" last="Hunter"] | 2021 | 5’9’’ Shooting Guard | Cypress Creek HS</strong> - Unsurprisingly, Hunter was productive at both ends on Thursday. She knocked down three triples and showed of her shot-making ability while also accounting for some flashy finishes at the rim on her way to dropping 17 points. Additionally, the Texas commit was locked in on defense, getting into passing lanes and coming away with four steals. <h5><strong>Guard </strong></h5> <strong>Journee Chambers | 2023 | 5’4’’ Combo Guard | Frisco Liberty HS</strong> - Chambers operated comfortably from either guard spot vs. Cedar Park. The Frisco Liberty sophomore showed that she can hit from mid-range off the dribble and was fearless when it came to attacking the basket while being defender by opponents with a size advantage, using her speed and handle to create space. She ended the night with 10 points and three assists. <h5><strong>Forward </strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="65914" first="Sa’Myah" last="Smith"] | 2022 | 6’4’’ Power Forward | DeSoto HS</strong> - Smith’s dominance on the glass was a key aspect in DeSoto’s victory. Her fundamentals combined with her size and athleticism allowed her to pull down 14 rebounds. Additionally, she contributed ten points on offense and earned MVP honors. Cypress Creek simply did not have an answer for her. The junior forward did the dirty work for her team and it paid off in a big way. <h3><strong>Second Team </strong></h3> <h5><strong>Guard </strong></h5> <strong>Sarai Estupinan | 2021 | 5’5’’ Point Guard | Cedar Park HS</strong> - Estupinan moved the ball well and kept everyone involved on offense. The senior captain was unselfish as a distributor and opportunistic as a scorer, picking her spots perfectly. She buried a three off the bounce, finished with a good-looking teardrop after attacking off the dribble, and made several gorgeous passes. She displayed great ball handling skills as well, ultimately accounting for nine points, four rebounds, and four assists. <h5><strong>Guard </strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="65915" first="Jazzy" last="Owens"]-Barnett | 2022 | 5’8’’ Point Guard | Frisco Liberty HS</strong> - Owens-Barnett was explosive in the open court as well as off the dribble in the half court. She had some incredible finishes at the basket, using her twitchiness with the ball to get around defenders and providing some highlight-reel scores at the rim. The junior guard was disruptive on defense too, using her lateral quickness to stay in front of opponents and her athleticism to deflect several pass attempts. She ended up with 10 points and six rebounds. <h5><strong>Guard </strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="65878" first="Rori" last="Harmon"] | 2021 | 5’6’’ Point Guard | Cypress Creek HS</strong> - Harmon is a crafty floor general who can score, pass, and dribble at a high level. The senior guard’s skill set coupled with her offensive instincts will allow her to immediately contribute at the next level. She was outstanding as a playmaker vs. DeSoto, and she stopped the bleeding on several occasions with timely buckets. In addition, she ended the game as her team’s leading rebounder. She finished the contest with eight points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. <h5><strong>Forward</strong></h5> <strong>Ariyanna Hines | 2021 | 5’8’’ Small Forward | DeSoto HS</strong> - Hines came off the bench and helped DeSoto take control of the game vs. Cypress Creek, drilling two catch-and-shoot threes in the second quarter. In the second half of action, she switched it up and was more of a playmaker. She did a good job of finding her teammates in their favorite spots, adding four assists to her eight points. The senior wing was productive whenever she was out on the floor. <h5><strong>Forward</strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="96925" first="Shelby" last="Hayes"] | 2022 | 6’2’’ Power Forward/Center | Cedar Park HS</strong> - Hayes enjoyed a significant height advantage in this matchup, exploiting it while playing a pivotal role in Cedar Park’s victory. She was excellent on the defensive glass and as an interior defender. It seemed like her presence in the paint alone was enough to discourage Frisco Liberty from attacking the basket. On top of her eight boards, the 2022 big put up 10 points on an efficient 4-of-5 from the field, displaying beautiful footwork and some impressive moves in the post. <h5><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></h5> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="65912" first="Ayanna" last="Thompson"] (2022 | DeSoto)</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="96143" first="Molly" last="Ly"] (2023 | Cedar Park)</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136335" first="Alisa" last="Knight"] (2021 | Cedar Park)</strong> <strong>Maya Jain (2021 | Frisco Liberty)</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97930" first="Taylor" last="Jackson"] (2021 | Cypress Creek)</strong>